Mel Sembler

Melvin Sembler is a longtime friend of former vice president Dick Cheney and a Republican fundraiser. He served as the Ambassador to Italy 2001 to 2005, appointed by President George W. Bush in 2001.

In August 2007, Sembler was among prominent conservatives funding Freedom's Watch, a new White House front group which began "a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign to urge members of Congress who may be wavering in their support for the war in Iraq not to 'cut and run'." Mitt Romney named Mel Sembler as National Finance Co-chairman in the 2008 Presidential race.

Mel Sembler supported Republican presidential candidate John McCain in the 2008 Presidential race.

On October 2008, Elizabeth Sembler, Mel Sembler's daughter-in-law was appointed to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting board by President George W. Bush and confirmed by the Senate.

Sembler was executive director of Scooter Libby's legal defense fund. Scooter Libby was Dick Cheney's former chief of staff who was convicted of lying and obstruction of justice in the investigation into the leak of a CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity.

In May, 2008, Sembler and his development firm were under federal investigation for an alleged bribery scheme in an real estate development project in Florida.

While a sitting Ambassador to Italy, Sembler was heavily criticized for overseeing the purchase of an Italian palace near the Embassy. Sembler negotiated the purchase of the palace by the U.S. government for $83.5 million, and then named it after himself.

Sembler helped finance the 2000 Florida election recount that gave George W. Bush the presidency. He also was a founding funder of the front group Freedom's Watch, established in 2007.

Profiles
Sembler had previously served as Ambassador to Australia and Nauru by George H.W. Bush in 1989. "Sembler served as Finance Chairman for the Republican National Committee from 1997 to 2000. He also served as Florida's National Committeeman to the Republican National Committee after his election in 1994 until 2000."

Sourcewatch resources

 * Keep America Safe
 * Dick Cheney